The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-27
BETTER THAN MULE LINES
The Great Advantages of the Cable
Street Railway Over Other Systems.
How Cable Lines Are Built and Operated
The New Company's Willingness to In
prove Streets on Which 1t Has Lines.

cable street railway 1t may not be embarrassing
for the public at large to know what this system
10, and it's great advantages over horse mule
railways in cleanliness, speed and the accommo-
dalton OF great numbers of passengers. The
speed of this system is the first recommendation,
though the other advantages not to be lost
sight Of. The fact that the tracks are free from
dust and disagreeablo doors, and that neither
rain nor snow seriously interfere with travel are
great advantages over mule lines. The passen-
gers spared the sight of cruelty to animals in
the fogging Of tagging or balky mules and the
clean, comfortable cars move along at speed
Of nine miles an hour, which can be increased to
twelve, or even fifteen miles, where the popula-
ton 10 sparse. No system, not even steam rail
way lines. can excel well-equipped cable line in
affording transit to great crowds of people. and
when the State fair takes place in this city, in
1888. the forty Thousand people who wish to visit
the fair in one day will every one be enabled to
ride there and back in ease and comfort on a
grip car.
The rapid starting and stopping of the cars
effects q very material saving in time, while the
pleasures Of the ride in no way lessened, as
Is the case where ones sympathies suffer with
The faithful, overworked mules and with en-
Dloyes who, working long hours, have to keep
Byes and ears open and attend to half dozen
things at once. Its swiftly moving
enable the tired worker TO reach his home in less
than one-half the time taken by mule cars, and
In the morning the business man will be able to
linger q quarter half hour longer with his
family and still. by means of the cable. be able
TO reach his Office time The building of
cable lines will result in the erection Of many
cottages in the suburbs they penetrate by reason
Of the quick transit they will give to and from
work. and many laboring men and clerks will be
enabled to live in the suburbs and
heir own homes instead of living in the citys
dust and heat in rented property. While the con-
Btruction cost of cable lines Is much in excess
OF mule lines, the operating ex pense is greatly
In favor OF cable power that the saving over
mules mot to speak of the saving of pro-
family in drivers), not only pays the interest on
the increased cost of construction but leaves be-
side a good profit In Chicago, where the COM
parison is made between we-equipped horse
car lines and cable, the relative cost has been
ia cents per mile per car for cable, against
"a cents per mile per for horse lines, to say
nothing of the immense advantage in the supe-
riority of service rendered No comparison need
be attempted with inefficient service like that
prevailing in Indianapolis.
In cable lines the track is built to the stand
ard guage universally used throughout the coun-
try by steam roads-that Is. feet 81 inches.
In laying the cable-track V-shaped excavation
four feet deep and Six feet wide at the top is
made in which is placed wrought-iron Jokes
Jokes being placed four feet apart. Between
and around the yokes filling Of concrete is
made, forming channel from one end of the
line to the other in which the cable runs. On
the outer ends are the iron chairs, which carry
the rails, while directly over the center Of the
channel. parallel bars of sixty pound 81"
slot iron rest upon the Jokes to which they are
bolted and form the slot, which is five eghths
of an inch wide. To take care of what little
rain or melted snow may chance to run in the
channel sewer connections are made at inter-
walls In Chicago, where SHOWS are heavy and
frequent, two-inch stand-pipes are laid on the
bottom Of the channel, extendin. all along the
line, with traps ard taps at suitable intervals,
whore steam can be taken from a boiler to thaw
the snow and ice, turning it into water, which
quickly runs off.
In making the foundation, great quantities of
stone, sand, gravel and cement used,
well bricks and timber. The Indianapolis
Cable-line Company proposes to pave strip
sixteen feet wide OF the streets along which
their cables run.
Gable lines improve the health of city. The
removal from street of the voidance of hun
dreds of horses is not to be lightly estimated in
point of health, and the clatter of hoofs on the
pavement 10 supplanted by the quiet gliding of
o train scarcely audible from the sidewalk
The cable is supported In the channel by car
rying pulleys, set in frames and placed at inter
walls of about thirty-t feet. These pulleys are
Is inches in diameter, 81 inches wide at the rim,
with a groove IL inch deep. The pulleys not
set exactly in the center of the channel, but
enough TO one side to carry the cable out of line
with the slot opening, and thus protect it from
dirt water that might drop through from the
street. The cables used are [. inch in diameter
strands of wire twisted around heart of
specialization. The cables are make to have q
breaking tension of from fifty to eighty toms.
The grip" always excites wonder. It is hung
In the center of the grip or drawing car, extends
through the slot in the track, and supports the
jaws through which the cable passes. When
Car is at a stand still the cable slides over the
rollers When the lever is drawn back the jaws
close the moving cable with pressure of 400
pounds for every pound applied. and the car
moves on By loosening the pressure on the bic
the speed of the train may be reduced to any
rate desired, even to moving the car one mile in
ten hours, though the cable may be running ten
miles an nour. The train can thus be made to
go slow. and for any length of time, the
driver wills. but of course can never go more
rapidly than the speed of the cable. The cable
system has a great advantage In the ability to
stop and start a car quickly While driver
could be getting ready to whack his mule
cable would have moved fifty sixty feet.
There is a wooden fender to guard the wheels,
rendering IL impossible for any one to get under
meath them. The grip cars are sixteen feet long
and six feet high, with reversible seats for
twenty passengers. and as many coaches may be
attached to this car as the travel may demand.
The power is given to the cable by immense
ngines in houses located at a convenient place
upon the line. Tho incoming cable passes
around great drums and then leads from the
bottom of the drums to a tension carriage, where
it passes around the tension wheel and leads out
to the street, where it enters the channel The
drune gears engines and shaftng make an
enormous weight in addition to the great weight
of the cable.
The power of the Indianapolis cable lines will
doubtless be furnished by natural gas. Colonel
Dudley will be here the latter parc of the week
to look about and select locations for the power
houses and negotiate for the real estate required.
In this connection t may be well to say that
the citizens North Alabama street who
talking about improving that thoroughfare by
the usual grading and graveling method will do
well to go slow. When the cable line runs up
that street it will make the roadway for sixteen
feet whore it's tracks lie. IL required they will
make this OF Trinidad asphaltum, as the streets
of Washington City are made and il the prop
erty -owners on that street will pay for the re-
mainder OF the street made of the same material.
they will have the handsomest roadway in the
rity at n comparatively light cost The track of
the cable lines is different from the mule-car
lines, and scarcely makes break the road
way, leaving it smooth and comfortable for
driving. so that North Alabama street may one
day be a handsome boulevard. Many property
holders on that street desire that the cable road